Sakura
by Mandolina Lightrobber
Summary: Another victim of a certain Sakurazukamori. [Seishirou－centric]


**A/N: **I don't really think the title fits the story, but my creativeness ended just about there. Originally, I was aiming for something more dramatic, but oh, well. Other than that – no idea where this idea came from. Just randomly popped up.

**Disclaimer: **I know it. You know it. We _all_ know it. I disclaim.

**Warnings: **Don't ask, and I won't lie.

* * *

**Sakura**

This year's summer was exceptionally warm, Seishirou noted for about the tenth time that day. Pitiful remains of ice-cream were slowly melting away in a transparent glass tray in front of him, the shade of the colourful umbrella of the outside café failing to provide a cooler atmosphere underneath it. Despite the annoying heat, the male pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a strange grace, a grace that accompanied his every motion. Lazily inhaling the smoke, he let his mind wander on its own accord, curious as to what thoughts and memories would it bring up.

The heat must have been really getting to his head, because he remembered one of his victims. Usually they were only faceless porcelain dolls that broke from his touch, shattered into tiny pieces and turned into raining sakura blossoms. This one, however, was an exception. This victim still had no face, only eyes that Seishirou remembered all too well. It had been two, perhaps, three years ago. Cherry trees had barely begun to awaken, a small blossom here and there spreading its petals wide open to greet the world with its pure and at the same time tainted beauty. Seishirou figured his car must have been in repair because there would be no other reason for him to take the subway. And back then, he had.

Seishirou was not one to randomly pick a victim right off the street or subway. He made sure the person would be worthy this honour, worthy to die by his hand, to die for the tree whose loyal servant he was. But this one time, an overheard conversation had sparked his interest.

_"Sakura-san, do you think it will rain today?"_

He had lifted his head and looked over at two girls wearing dark school uniforms. He really should not have done that because _Sakura-san_ immediately took over his thoughts, keeping his eyes pinned on her. The name was not what worked the magic. The eyes did. Large emerald eyes flickering with life and youth, and so very familiar to a certain Sakurazukamori.

_"Rain?" a small bemused laugh. "Not in the closest time, I believe."_

Of course, she was not a relative to his prey, – he would have known that. He knew everything there was to know about the Sumeragi clan. But if he closed his eyes and observed _Sakura-san_ through his lashes, the long hair disappeared and the only thing that remained was two emerald eyes.

Then and there Seishirou picked his next victim.

_"You live on the other side of the park, right? Then the next is your stop, Sakura-san. See you next week!"_

He had gotten up from his seat and moved to the door, coming side by side with _Sakura-san_. He had partially expected to feel the scent of cherry blossoms coming from her, but the fragrance that filled the air was soft vanilla. A fleeting look of green eyes casually slipped over him, dark hair flitted through air, and she was out of the wagon and swiftly ascending the stairs back up to the fading daylight. Seishirou had leisurely ascended to the soft haze of oncoming evening, slightly pondering the strange coincidence. The minute his eyes fell on the trees of the park, he had been swallowed by the scent of sakura blossoms. It was like soft balm dripping over the world, covering it with a veil of dreamy haze that clouded minds and stole the peace of hearts and souls.

Seishirou had not been too surprised to see _Sakura-san_ sitting under the sakura tree. He had stopped only a few steps away from her, gazing through his eyelashes and seeing a slightly different picture than the one the reality was showing. After a while, green eyes had looked up at him.

_"Sorry to have bothered you."_

_Seishirou smiled as politely as he could. "I should apologize, too. You looked lost in thoughts. I did not mean to intrude."_

They had exchanged meaningless words of politeness, until _Sakura_-_san_ got up to leave.

_"I'm afraid you will not leave this place today."_

He had erased the distance of politeness between them in a second, bringing dangerous intimacy into the scene. After all, there was nothing more intimate than to take away someone's life. It was as close as one could get to another person.

_Sakura-san_ had taken a startled step back, trying to escape the dark feeling that was crawling all around them, making the air thicken. Green eyes wide and weary, but not yet panicking. Accordingly, Seishirou had stepped forwards, raising his hand and narrowing his eyes, through the veil of his lashes a different image playing out before him.

_His aim was going to be perfect; it would meet the mark with deadly accuracy, erasing a life just as easily as he would blow out a candle. His arm bolted forwards, and…_

And then she had done it.

She had asked him the one question that had the power to stop him.

_"Why?"_

_He did not have to answer. Really, he did not. But he did._

_He did. Not because her name was Sakura, but because she had emerald eyes that were looking at him with a frighteningly familiar look._

She had listened to his every word without taking her gaze off him even for the smallest of heartbeats. Seishirou did not know why he had told her his reasons, why he had told her about the tree he served for, the tree he _lived_ for, the one tree that ruled his very existence.

_"I understand."_

He had wondered if she really did.

_"However…" Her voice was silent as if she were afraid to disturb the peace of a graveyard. "However, I can't promise that I won't be scared."_

Scared to die. How typical._ He gave her the smile of a Sakurazukamori right before taking her life._

"Of course," Seishirou murmured to himself and lit another cigarette. "With a name like that, she was _born_ to be given to the tree." He took a long drag from his smoke, eyes wandering skywards and eyelashes coming down to partially shield the golden orbs. The little piece of sky that he could see was pleasantly blue. It was safer that way – he did not have to risk accidentally noticing someone else with emerald eyes. There was one and only one person with eyes like that that he needed to remember.

But even if he met the green-eyed Subaru-kun now, and even if Subaru-kun would ask him "why?", he would not give the answer Subaru-kun wanted to hear. And it was because there had once lived a girl, _Sakura-san_, with eyes just as green, and she had already asked the question that had been reserved for Subaru-kun.

With a delighted smirk on his face, Seishirou took one last drag from his cigarette and got up to leave.

**End.**


End file.
